When Is It Time For A Memory Care Residence?
According to the World Health Organization, there are 9.9 million new cases of dementia every year, so when is it time to start thinking about memory care for your loved one? Here are three signs to consider when asking your loved one’s health care provider if dementia is affecting your loved one enough to make the move to a memory care residence.
1) Difficulty remembering daily events
“What did you eat for lunch?” “Did you go for a walk outside today?” These are simple questions you can ask your loved one to help assess their short-term memory. If your loved one consistently stumbles over what they have done earlier in the day, you may want to consider additional help. Memory care homes provide routines and records of simple daily activities.
2) Confusion over the time of day
When a senior starts to become confused over whether it’s time for eating breakfast or climbing into bed for the night, it could mean a move to memory care. For safety, memory care provides secure entrances and exits, to prevent middle of the night strolls and other dangerous activities.
3) Misusing common objects
Have you caught your loved one trying to make a phone call on the tv remote or turning down the tv with the telephone? Confusion over common objects could be a sign your loved one needs the extra help that memory care can bring. While confusion between a phone and a remote is trivial, confusion between medications is not. A memory care facility is a safe place for your loved one to continue living their life to the fullest.
As always, a health professional is the best source to know what care is right for your loved one. Please contact us for further information on our memory care homes.
